That one group...

[Mummyof2boys211]

I know everyone has them. That one group they hate. Mine is a middle ability maths group in year 8. There are about 4 or 5 pupils that literally ruin the lesson. Follow the behaviour policy but they get the better of me each time and i find them so stressful from start to finish. 2 have fairly complex needs, and wont follow instructions. Wont leave when asked, then when I send for SLT they leave and go wandering... still disrupting from outside. Nice kids look at me in that way i feel really shit and i just dont know what to do with them anymore. I just dread them. My other classes are mostly okay.

Any tips etc would be useful :( its really getting me down although no tears yet this year!

I work in a school and I can honestly say I don’t hate any group of children no matter how disruptive they are.

Find that a very harsh way to talk about them and maybe they pick up on it from you!

I hate the group, not the individual children! Just as a group together it doesnt seem to work. The majority of them are lovely kids, im just after ideas to help me not feel such dread? Didnt mean to offend anyone and certainly never let the kids know!

My nemesis group are Year 8 too. On am individual basis and around school, they are lovely but as a class it's them v me. They cannot shut up for one minute.

I wonder what will drive me out of teaching - the govt meddling, performance management targets I can't meet, or behaviour. Probs all three actually.

Do you have a seating plan to keep them apart. How do the other kids behave when they are playing up?

Do any colleagues have these particular mix of kids? Can you ask how they handle them?

Sounds like my year 9 class. Haven't learnt how to tackle them yet so can't offer much advice :(

year 8 bottom group for me too. three of them avoiding detention three days now as they think they are untouchable

They are in a seating plan, have changed it a few times after liaising wih staff. It has helped some settle but the main ones just shout out and try to distract others. They are spread out near nicer kids on their own (have been more than fair talking to them individually and trying them next to other people but they have blown the chance every time).

The others get annoyed sometimes, other times use the opportunity to have a chat while I have to deal with them.

Will ask others about them as a group for ideas. Thank you!

You need back-up. Contact parents. Ask your HOD to come in and bollock them. Arrange for a couple of the hard cases to be in a different classroom for a week.

Don’t just keep doing the same thing over and expecting anything different.

Can you make the group more active?
Can you perhaps have a shout out chart - if it under 5 they finish 5 mins earlier? Screen time? Fun maths game?
Over 5 they stay behind?